The present invention relates to the field of image processing machines, e.g., printers and copiers, having post processing of stacks of sheets organized, e.g., into booklets, and including an automated binding mechanism for binding the stack of sheets with a binding strip.
It is well known to have post processing finishing stations in image processing machines an example showing the accumulation of sets of sheets for binding or stapling on devices which finish the sets of sheets and then moving the sheets to a stacker or receiver is shown in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,543, entitled UNIVERSAL SHEET RECEIVER FOR STACKERS, issued on Sep. 25, 2000, to the inventor in the present case, (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,999 B2, issued to Coombs, et al, on Dec. 18, 2001, entitled SET BINDING, STAPLING AND STACKING APPARATUS, and owned by the assignee of the present application discloses a stacker with which are associated a binding station and a stapling station. The patent, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses:
More particularly, the apparatus is contemplated to automatically apply binding strips in a binding station at which heat and pressure are automatically applied to the binding strips to adhesively secure the sheets in an integrated set, . . . and still further, the finally treated set is discharged vertically to a vertically adjustable stacker tray adapted to receive the desired number of sets. (Col. 1, line 64xe2x80x94Col. 2, line 6) . . .
FIG. 9 is a detail view showing operating means for allowing and causing clamping of a sheet set in a binding strip supplied to the heater and in a normal xe2x80x9cHOMExe2x80x9d position of the operating means allowing the supply of sheets; (Col. 2, lines 53-57) . . .
Referring first to FIG. 1, the apparatus includes . . . finishing station S2 located above a stacker station assembly S3.
The finishing station S1, as herein shown, includes an automatic thermal strip binding means B . . . (Col. 3, lines 3-8) . . .
[The machine will] move the jogged sheets in a direction down the inclined tray T1, as seen in FIG. 3, into the thermal binding mechanism (Col 4, lines 18-19) . . .
At the binder B, the shelf . . . is incorporated in the thermal binding device, and is moved upon completion of a binding operation . . .
Referring to FIG. 5 it will be seen that the binding means includes a lower heating element . . . , which constitutes, together with other structures, the shelf for the trailing edge of the set and the lower heater is allowed to move downwardly from beneath the trailing edge of the set following completion of the binding operation.
Means are provided at binder B to successively provide binding strips to the lower heater element, clamp the trailing edges of successive sheets forming the set, move an upper heater element into engagement with a portion of the binding strip and deform the binding strip toward the lower heater element. Following completion of a bind, the bound set is released for downward movement by downward swinging movement of the lower heater-shelf when the tray parts of tray T1 are moved to the xe2x80x9cDROPxe2x80x9d position.
As best seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, the thermal binding means B includes a cartridge 50 for receiving a stack of binding strips 51 biased by a spring 52 upwardly towards an open upper end of the cartridge. At this open upper end, the strips which, in the illustrated embodiment, are right angular in shape, are engaged by transfer means, including a horizontally extended vacuum tube 53 having suction ports for attraction of an upwardly extended side of the uppermost strip. Tube 53 is mounted for horizontal movement between a first position shown in full lines in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, to a second position shown in broken lines in FIGS. 5 and 6 by suitable guides 54. Actuator means include a motor M8 and a crank arm 55 pinned to the slide at 56 to reciprocate the slide between said first and second positions. The tube 53 is evacuated by a suitable suction pump and motor M9 (FIG. 1) and tube 57.
When in the full line position, tube 53 attracts the strip 51 to remove one strip from magazine 50, while upon removal of one strip, the next upper strip is held against movement by retard means such as a velcro-like strip 58, best seen in FIG. 5.
Upon movement of vacuum tube 53 to the broken line position and engagement of the ends of the strip with stops 59, the strip is released from the tube 53 and drops onto a right angular seat, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5, provided by the two part heater means 60.
The two part heater designated 60 in FIG. 5, includes a lower heater 61 extended horizontally at the lower end of receiver tray T1. As previously described, this lower heater provides part of the shelf member to support the lower edge of a set of sheets in tray T1 extending at an incline substantially aligned with tray T1. Also, the lower heater-shelf 61 has an end wall or back stop 63 against which the edges of the sheets are urged for engagement of the strip 51 between the sheet edge and wall 63.
The other heater part 64, as seen in FIGS. 5,7,8 and 8a is adapted to swing downwardly and ultimately in parallel relation to the lower heater element 61, for folding and finally clamping the binding strip 51 against the opposing outer sides of the edges of the set and, in conjuntion with heater element 61, for thermally melting adhesive provided on the binding strip, as customary, and applying pressure for a suitable period to establish the bond following cooling. . . .
As seen in FIGS. 11 and 12, the lower heater support 68 is adapted to swing downwardly from the position of FIG. 11 to the position of FIG. 12 so as to release the bound end of the set for downward movement following the binding operation.
However, during the binding operations, as will be seen by reference to FIGS. 7 through 11, means are provided for controlling the movement of the upper heater 64 and the downward swinging of the lower heater 61.
The means for operating and causing control of the operation of the two just mentioned movements of the upper heater into engagement with the set of sheets and the downward swinging movement of the lower heater to release the set from the binder, include a cam 70 best seen in FIGS. 8, 8a and 9 and a rotary member 71 which carries an upper heater support 72. . . .
As previously indicated, a pressure plate is provided and extends transversely of the apparatus to press the leading edge of the set of sheets into the binding 51. As seen specifically in full lines in FIG. 7, the pressure plate is designated 80 and is mounted for sliding downward movement on posts 81 at opposite ends of the apparatus under the influence of a coiled compression spring 82 at each end thereof. (Col. 5, line 22-Col. 7, line 26)
It is also well known to utilize binding strips in desk top publishing applications with binding machines that automatically adhere the binding strip to a stack of sheets to be so bound, wherein the sheets are manually inserted as a stack and a single binding strip is also inserted into the machine. Such machines are shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,763, entitled BOOKBINDING SYSTEM AND METHOD, issued to Parker, et al. on Dec. 5, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,044, entitled HOT MELT ADHESIVE BOUND BOOK, issued to Luhman, et al. on Jul. 16, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,711, entitled ADHESIVE BINDING STRIP HAVING TAPERED HIGH TACK ADHESIVE BANDS, issued to Parker on Mar. 25, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,938, entitled DESKTOP BOOK BINDER HAVING MEANS FOR ALIGNING SHEETS TO BE BOUND WITH A PREFORMED BINDING MATERIAL AND METHOD, issued to Hartwig, et al. on Nov. 3, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,763, entitled BOOKBINDING SYSTEM AND METHOD, issued to Parker, et al. on Dec. 5, 2000; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,450, entitled BOOK BINDING, issued to Kritzinger on Jun. 11, 2002, the disclosures of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Also operating and service manuals for Powis-Parker FastBack Model 11 desktop binders, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, show similar machines.
In an image processing machine, having a housing, and including, within the housing, at least one sheet stack accumulation station at which a stack of sheets having been operated on by the image processing machine are accumulated, and a method and apparatus for automated post processing sheet stack binding is disclosed which may comprise: an automated sheet stack binding station; a sheet stack transfer mechanism adapted to seize a stack of sheets and to transfer the stack of sheets from the accumulation tray to the automated sheet stack binding station and to hold the stack of sheets in a binding position at the automated sheet stack binding station during a binding operation; a sheet stack binding strip supply mechanism containing a plurality of sheet stack binding strips; a sheet stack binding strip transfer mechanism adapted to transfer one of the sheet stack binding strips from the sheet stack binding strip supply mechanism to the automated sheet stack binding station; the automated sheet stack binding station further comprising an automated sheet stack binding mechanism adapted to attach the binding strip to an edge of the stack of sheets and adjacent portions of a top and a bottom sheet contained in the stack of sheets. The binding strip may comprises a generally flat thermally setting, pressure setting adhesive, or both, and the automated sheet stack binding mechanism may further comprise a heating element adapted to apply heat to the thermally setting adhesive.